Shopping for Swimwear with Designer Malia Mills

Shopping for swimwear can be one of the most stressful parts of planning a beach vacation—but it doesn't have to be, according to bathing suit designer Malia Mills. Here, she shares her tips for shopping, packing, and caring for swimwear on the go.

Swimsuit designer Malia Mills started her company in 1993 to take some of the stress out of bathing suit season. "It was crazy that women were totally bummed out when you told them about swimwear," she says. "The swimsuit is all about the sun and being away from work and drinking margaritas and that crazy run and tumble into the water.” Mills designs with women of many shapes and sizes in mind, and her suits come in sizes 2–16.

Courtesy of Malia Mills

When you try on swimwear, keep an open mind. “You shouldn’t know what you’re walking in to buy,” Mills says. “We can encourage gals to put that out of their mind, that there isn’t that one perfect suit. Be open-minded. The sense of experiment is really key.” Once you've invested in a suit, you'll want to make sure it lasts. “Give them a little TLC,” says Mills. Even if you don’t actually go swimming, “rinse it, rinse it, rinse it. Whatever mild soap you’re using on your body will be fine.”

Courtesy of Malia Mills

Mills recommends giving your favorite suit a break from time to time, and even investing in more than one. "Swimwear takes more crap than anything in our closet," she notes. "It needs to fit and perform while wet and while dry, in sunshine and heat, in chlorine and salt water. It’s exposed to sunscreen and body oil.”

Courtesy of Malia Mills

And once a suit is past its prime, Mills recommends simply getting rid of it. “It’s definitely not like denim, which gets better with age," she explains. "The minute it starts to droop, stretch, or sag, get rid of it.” Of course, there are other reasons suits may need to be replaced besides wear and tear. “Sometimes it’s not even about the suit—our bodies change," Mills notes. "No biggie—it’s just time to move onto the next exciting suit."